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Why do people feel so strongly about these issues? Because the "dating game" is such a dangerous game to play! Whether you are the predator or the prey, you are quite likely to be hurt by the recreational dating scene. Some may come out unscarred from the pit of snakes, but is that any reason to walk through it?
Dating promotes lust and moderate s_xual* activity, opening the door for fornication.
Dating develops a self-centered, feeling-oriented concept of love.
Dating creates a permanent endorphin-bond between two people who will not spend their lives together.
Dating teaches people to break off difficult relationships, conditioning them more for divorce than marriage.
Dating creates a standard of comparison by which mates are first chosen, but after marriage rejected.
Dating develops an appetite for variety and change, creating dissatisfaction within marriage.
Dating causes late marriages, leaving more time for falling into sins associated with singleness.
Dating destroys fellowship, leaving Christians alienated and ineffective uncooperative ministry.
Dating lacks the protections and guidance afforded by parental involvement of courtship.
Dating doesn't prepare children to face "life's realities" ~ it warps life's realities!
Dating devalues s_x and marriage.
Dating leads to intimacy but not necessarily to commitment.
Dating tends to skip the "friendship" stage of a relationship.
Dating often mistakes a physical relationship for love.
Dating often isolates a couple from other vital relationships.
Dating, in many cases, distracts young adults from their primary responsibility of preparing for the future.
Dating can cause discontentment with God's gift of singleness.
Dating creates an artificial environment for evaluating another person's character.
These problems are extracted from "Dating: Is It Worth the Risk?" by Reb Bradley; "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris; "Dating, Betrothal and Courtship" by Dr S. M. Davis, "Dating vs. Courtship" by Paul Jehle, and various posts to the "Courtship Ring" mailing list. Please see the list of resources for details of where to access these resources! (From Barb: This list Nathan mentions is accessible on the internet at the address given below.)
Used with permission from Nathan Bailey. © Copyright 1997-1998, Nathan Bailey, All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to print these articles for personal use, in whole or in part, provided the extract references the original URL: http://polynate.net/books/courtship/ so that people can find the latest version.
[Note from Barb: There is an extensive list of links and resources further down on this webpage! I love Nathan's heart! He's living this message! You will be blessed and edified by taking in as much as you can at his website! And then share it with your kids!]
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